South Zone’s profligate top order justified West Zone’s decision to bowl first at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Priyank Panchal’s call to insert the opposition as the Duleep Trophy final got underway took many by surprise. It wasn’t as if heavily overcast skies greeted the players, or that the pitch was particularly green and promised to offer assistance aplenty to the quicker bowlers.

West in good position

But the end certainly justified the means so far as holders West were concerned as they fed off a series of loose shots from the opposition to finish a truncated Day One with their noses in front. When play was called off due to bad light, South were 182 for seven in 65 overs. Hanuma Vihari and the classy Tilak Varma pieced together a sensible third-wicket stand of 79 after openers R Samarth and Mayank Agarwal had been dismissed owing to questionable shot-selection in the opening session, both caught behind the stumps. They laid the foundation for a healthy first innings total through judicious choice of shots and a good understanding stemming from being teammates at Andhra.